Melting Ice
by Spyger
Summary: <html><head></head>This story offers an interesting explanation for Weiss' personality. In this story, her closely guarded secret is revealed in a disastrous way, and the icy walls she has erected around her heart begin to melt away with the help of Ruby. Consistent with canon universe through S2:C9.</html>
1. Chapter 1

"Weiss, is that a…" His voice trailed off, scared to say the last word.

"Yes, Neptune. It's *exactly* what you think it is." Her voice had all the conviction that his lacked, but her eyes betrayed her fear. Would this boy be just like the rest?

Neptune quickly pulled his hand back, as if he had touched a stove. "I can't, holy crap Weiss! I…" He took a few steps back from her, staring at his desk, the ceiling, the window, anything other than Weiss. One hand nervously scratched at the back of his head, while the other sat on his hip, a habit from trying to look cool all the time. Weiss straightened up and held the hem of her skirt down with one arm while clutching herself with the other, her lips were pursed and eyes shimmering, trying to hold it in. She knew this would happen. It always happened.

"… I can't deal with that!" He finally stammered out, gesturing at her. "I mean, what does that make you? A b-"

"SHUT UP!" Weiss screamed. Neptune already knew that no one could match Weiss' steely glares, but the look in her eyes at that moment ascended into heights of hatred that he didn't even know were possible, even as they streamed silent tears.

The quiet lasted for a long time. It filled every corner of the room. It had been a windy day, but the moaning whistles of the sky had paused, refusing to grant reprieve from the stillness. Neptune was scared to do or say anything. Weiss was immobile as well, seemingly seething. The only motion was of the melted ice sliding down her cheeks.

She had so much to say, but couldn't get it out; the words caught in her throat, caught by the sobs that she kept bottled there. Finally, she stormed out of Neptune's room, taking long strides and staring straight ahead. She shoved the door out of her way, not even bothering to slam it.

* * *

><p>The hallway was filled with the sound of footsteps and giggles as students headed back to their dorms for the evening to relax or study. Ordinarily they would be littered across the various courtyards and grounds of Beacon, but the cool, windy weather drove them inside, so the halls were crowded. A red cloak streamed behind a tiny girl as she skipped happily in between dozens of people with nimble ease. Clearly she had not a care for the gloomy weather or packed interior, and her antic was the cause of the aforementioned giggling.<p>

Ruby's bright mood was mostly attributable to her recent victory over Pyrrha in a sparring match. Many huntresses-in-training were using their free time to hone their abilities in preparation for the tournament, which was fast approaching. The fiery haired Pyrrha was one of only a few combatants that could truly put Ruby's speed to the test. She was a warrior goddess, at least in the minds of most of their peers, with several tournament victories already under her belt in addition to her stunning beauty. Ruby had challenged her numerous times not only because her sheer skill, but due to Pyrrha's variety of attacks. When facing the warrior goddess, one had to contend with a fury of blows coming from several weapons simultaneously, in addition to the constant threat of her magnetic semblance.

Understandably, every previous duel had resulted in a defeat for the speedster, and a lesson learned. On that day though, Ruby had finally managed a victory by utilizing her scythe as a distraction instead of a direct threat, and therefore nullifying the redhead's powers. Of course, she had used the tactic under Pyrrha's own advice, but in Ruby's mind it didn't lessen the victory at all. The match marked the end of a long and tough day, and the little leader was excited to regale her team with a _slightly _exaggerated telling of her unexpected win.

Ruby had finally skipped her way to her room, and practically leapt in while cheering "Helloooo team RWBY!" Her eyes were closed and her arm was thrust up in the air, but it seemed to become heavy after a few seconds with no cheer in reply. The only sound was the pattering of raindrops against the window as the clouds finally yielded to the weight they had carried all day. She opened her eyes and scanned the room, coming down from her high as she realized that only Weiss was there. The Ice Queen was curled into a ball next to her bed, sitting with her face buried in her knees where a frilly silk pillow rested.

"Get out." She said, though it was muffled and Ruby couldn't quite hear.

Worried now, Ruby asked, "What was that, Wei-"

"NOW!" Weiss sprang to her feet and shouted. Her face was a mess of smeared makeup, and while her face was red, her shaking fists were white as snow.

Ruby still didn't know what she had said before, but her meaning was quite clear. "Ok…" she squeaked out as she hurriedly slid back out of the door and closed it.

Ruby's head sagged against the warm mahogany of the door and she stared at her black boots, wondering what could be wrong. [Is Weiss mad at me? No, she must have been crying for a while before I got here. The last time I saw her was this morning in class, and it's not like anything happened there...]

From the other side of the door, she heard shuddering breaths as Weiss picked up where Ruby had interrupted her. Ruby cursed silently, she needed to act. True to her word, Weiss _had_ been the best teammate to Ruby, despite their differences. Better even than her sister, Yang. Now it was time to be a good leader, and friend, for Weiss.

Slowly, she reentered the room, trying to make a _little_ noise to avoid surprising Weiss, whose face was buried in her pillow once again. As Ruby approached, the crying girl stiffened, holding her breath. The team leader paused, considering what to do. [Why can't Yang be here? She's always been good at this kind of stuff. I've never been a people person…]

She decided to adapt what she knew: weapons. [If Crescent Rose, had a problem, I would want to hold it, and investigate what could be wrong.] Ruby sat down and put her arm across Weiss shoulders.

"Don't touch me." Weiss murmured, but she leaned into her friend's chest and let her feet slide out across the floor, uncovering her face. Her breaths were still ragged, and she wiped tears from her face onto her sleeves, but she seemed to be pulling it back together gradually.

Ruby grabbed a box of tissues from the bedside table with her free hand so Weiss' beautiful dress wouldn't have to take any more punishment. They just sat that way for a while, as Miss Schnee applied the tissues liberally to clean herself up and regain most of her composure. Just as Ruby took a breath to start asking, Weiss beat her to the punch.

"Ruby, I need to tell you something, but you have to _promise_ that it stays between us." Ruby didn't reply immediately, and Weiss turned to face her. "It can't be like it was with Blake, where everyone found out. I've already lost too many friends to this secret."

Ruby was stunned, and suddenly very nervous. Her gaze flicked back and forth between Weiss' eyes, but the Ice Queen's stare was stone still. She was awed and honored that her teammate trusted her that much. She decided that there was no way she could let Weiss down.

"I promise." She stated, nodding her head once and expelling her fear.

Weiss didn't give any clear acknowledgement, but simply continued staring into her friend's eyes. Ruby knew this was a test, and she did not waver. She couldn't be a shy little girl, not when Weiss needed her so badly.

Eventually, Weiss turned away and leaned back so they were sitting side by side again, apparently satisfied. They both took a deep breath, one with relief, and the other in preparation to tell a sad story. "The Schnee family, as you could probably tell, is one with a long lineage and a strict adherence to tradition. Our way of life was passed down, tested, and refined with each generation, and brought us great success. When my grandfather built the Schnee Dust Company, those traditions became doubly important. We all want to make our fathers proud."

She paused for a moment to use a tissue and steel herself to continue. Her team leader turned, giving all the attention she could muster. Ruby could tell how difficult this was for the "Ice Queen", who was normally so aloof. Weiss was trying to unfreeze her icy heart after all this time so she could pour it out.

"My family is extremely old, so of course, many of those customs relate to the first born son. He is always entitled to the entire Schnee legacy, and must always serve as a huntsman." Weiss paused and smirked at Ruby. "That's a little confusing, is it not?"

Indeed it was. Ruby squinted and puzzled over it in her mind. Everyone knew Weiss was the heiress to the SDC. And here she was at Beacon, training to be a huntress. As her friend, Ruby knew that she didn't have any brothers. She wondered aloud, "I guess your dad had to break tradition since he didn't have any sons?"

"Well, no." Weiss replied. She sighed. "My parents weren't exactly young when they married, so only my sister and I were born before my mother's time was up. This wasn't an issue at first though, because-" She gulped and stared at the wall so hard that Ruby thought it would explode. Ruby took her hand to encourage her onward, and Weiss gripped it with fervor.

"I'm a hermaphrodite."

Once again, Ruby squinted, confused. "A what?"

With a scoff, Weiss turned to her young confidant. "A hermaphrodite!" she said angrily. It was hard enough to admit in the first place, and Ruby wasn't making it any easier.

Ruby could only raise her eyebrow. Weiss rolled her eyes, realizing she would have to spell it out. "I have both parts!"

Now Ruby was truly baffled. "What are you talking about? Parts of wha-" She was suddenly stunned into silence. Weiss had pulled their hands down between her legs. Through her skirt, Ruby could feel exactly what she was talking about on the back of her own hand.

Ruby's face turned as red as her cloak. Caught so off guard, the strength she had mustered vanished and Ruby was back to her shy, young, and now _anxious_ self. She tried to draw her hand away, but it was locked in a steel grip. An icy monotone prompted her to look back up into Weiss' cold blue eyes, which were awfully close. "No one, Ruby. Not a single soul."

Weiss noticed then how frightened Ruby was, with her eyes wide, biting her lip and fidgeting with her skirt. Tears appeared on the older girl's face once again. [She thinks I'm a freak too. Of course she does, why did I TELL her!?] She let go of Ruby's hand to cover her own face as she felt sobs came back with renewed vigor. They were stopped though, when she found herself wrapped in a hug.

[Well that didn't work.] Ruby thought to herself as she channeled the best Yang comfort hug that she could manage. The investigation phase of the plan hadn't worked at all. Why were people so much more complicated than guns? At least the crying helped to ease her fear. [She isn't mad. She's _scared_…] Ruby felt her ward clutching her blouse. "Don't leave." Weiss pleaded meekly, burying her face in Ruby's chest.

For Ruby, the way forward was now clear. Her friend needed something a weapon could never use: reassurance. "Of course." She said, rubbing Weiss' back. "I'll always be here for my best teammate."

The crying girl's eyes shot open, and she looked up at Ruby while drawing a shuddering breath. Her leader was smiling at her. Not grimacing, not frowning, but smiling. Weiss smiled back. And then she giggled.

Both of them were surprised at that, but then Ruby giggled, and they were both laughing. The tension, awkwardness, and sadness were all laughed away.

"You are SO cheesy." Weiss asserted, after they managed to calm down a bit.

"Like you aren't?" Ruby retorted, "With the puns you've been making lately, most people would be embarrassed to hang out with you!"

Weiss smiled, filled with content. "Most people would, but not you. You always have at least a snicker for me."

They exchanged a look for a few seconds then, and it had a different kind of awkwardness than before.

Ruby looked away suddenly, blushing and poking her index fingers together. "So, eheheh, you were saying?"

Trying to mask her own embarrassment, Weiss crossed her arms and continued in a serious tone, "Right. When I was born, my father simply decided to raise me as a boy. In my mind though, I've always been female. This may have led to some… less than enjoyable interactions between us."

It was a situation that Ruby had a hard time imagining, especially considering just how feminine this particular first born Schnee was. Her parents, and especially uncle Qrow, had always supported the path that she chose. She thought of what she might have done if her parents condemned her love of fighting. There wouldn't be any stopping her; Ruby had a warrior spirit. Apparently, there wasn't any stopping Weiss either.

"I just wish he could accept me. I have just as much pride in our family as him, and will certainly uphold our traditions. Here I am at Beacon, fulfilling all of my responsibilities just as I always have. So does it matter the way that I dress, or speak? Since when does an appreciation for fashion and soprano singing make one less manly?"

Ruby grinned at that, but managed to stifle her giggle. "Right… So, is that why you were crying? Were you talking to your dad earlier?"

A scowl from Weiss clearly indicated that she was not pleased with Ruby's reaction. "No. I have only myself to blame for that. Now you understand _two_ very good reasons for why I act like an 'Ice Queen' toward boys. When I let myself develop feelings for one, it always ends this way."

"Oh no… I guess Neptune wasn't cool with it?" That was something Ruby could much more easily empathize with; people were so difficult.

Weiss still wore a tough expression, agitated just like she often was. "I think 'not cool' would be putting it rather mildly. At least he's sure not to tell anyone. If people knew he had dated a freak, his popularity might suffer for it." Her arms wrapped around her a bit more tightly then, the only sign she would give that she cared.

Her young friend was at a loss for words. Ruby fidgeted, trying to find a way to fill the silence that was mounting. Water continued to slide down the dorm room window, and a streak of lightning flashed, reminding her of an electronic friend. Then she knew what she needed to say.

"I have another friend who thought she was a freak," Ruby began, "and she's definitely a lot stranger than you are. Still, she has people who love her despite her secret, or even _because_ of it!" She pulled at Weiss' arms, taking her hands. "Weiss, everyone is at least a little bit freaky. If someone can't deal with your secrets, then they don't deserve to be your friend. It's not your fault! You'll find someone who accepts every part of you, I _know_ it. You just have to keep trying."

Weiss cocked an eyebrow, but smiled nonetheless. "Who is this friend of yours, Ruby?"

"OH! I guess you want the whole world to know about your secret too, huh?" Ruby asked playfully, gesturing widely around the room.

"No! I get it, I get it!" Weiss pulled her teammate's arms back down, as if scared that the world might see. She was quiet for a moment after that; in thought. "At least I have one 'someone' like that now, right?"

Ruby pulled her hands away to play with her skirt and her hair. Weiss was giving her a look that was filled with gratitude, making her a bit uncomfortable. "Well, yeah, eheheh. But I was thinking more of like, a _boy_, y'know? Like Jaune or-"

She was interrupted by her sister kicking the door open, her hair glowing gold. Yang had, quite impressively, managed to accumulate even more bruises than the day before. The blonde brawler was training exceptionally hard for the tournament, throwing herself at any opponent willing to take her on.

"Calm down, Yang. The door didn't do anything to you." Blake reasoned as she followed her inside. The Faunus girl didn't look up from her notebook, which she was scribbling in furiously, even as she leapt up to her bunk to take a seat.

"Aren't you pissed that we got our butts kicked?!" Yang kicked her boots off, sending them flying into a corner.

"Yes, but attacking inanimate objects won't help fix anything."

Weiss moved to her own bed and grabbed a textbook, trying not to look as if she had just been having a heart-to-heart on the floor, while Ruby decided to assert their existence to the two oblivious newcomers.

"Hey, you two, aren't you going to say hi, or something?"

"Of course, little sis!" Yang went from a scowl to a smile like it was nothing, and walked over to tousle Ruby's hair. "What's up?"

"I was going to ask _you_ that. Who were you guys sparring with?"

Yang smirked. "While you were getting your butt kicked by Pyrrha, we were handling the rest of her team."

"More like _getting_ handled." Blake chimed in, still scribbling away. "Nora knocked you through two walls," she closed her notebook, finally looking up, "and a _Jaune_."

Fists clenched as Yang prepared to retort, but her little sister beat her to the punch. "Actually, Pyrrha's butt was the one to get kicked today." Ruby wore a terribly smug expression, happy to finally be able to tell the story.

"Wow, really?" Yang plopped down on to her bed and rested her chin on her fists. "How did that happen?"

The rest of team RWBY watched their youngest member as she gloated, clearly romanticizing her victory, but Weiss' mind was elsewhere. She thought about Neptune; what he might say to her, and what she might say to him. She thought about Jaune, and whether he really liked her for _her_. She thought about her father, wondering what their next inevitable conversation might entail.

Later, when the others were sleeping and she was accompanied only by the pattering of rain on the window, she thought about Ruby.


	2. Chapter 2

The water left by the storm combined with the high altitude of Beacon Academy to make for a damp and foggy morning. In contrast, Weiss' mind felt crystal clear, despite ruminating long into the night. Of course she was busy, so she didn't realize why her spirits were so high until her Grimm Studies class with Professor Port. Even the most diligent of minds was prone to wander when the boisterous lecturer became embroiled in one of his long-winded tales. This particular one involved a winter expedition, and for Weiss it became senseless noise after the professor started breaking down the effects of low temperatures on the body; the cold never bothered her anyway.

It was then that she consciously realized that she had unloaded a huge weight from her shoulders. Her secret was out, but to a trusted friend, and she didn't have to bottle it up anymore. Ruby was okay with it, and it seemed entirely possible that Weiss would find others like that as well. After all, it was just a few young, stupid boys who had discovered it before; perhaps she had simply been unlucky. She really could live how she wanted. She could be herself.

"Aha! I see that even the dignified Ms. Schnee can't hide her appreciation for a riveting tale of a hero's victory over harsh trials!" Professor Port practically shouted out, snapping Weiss out of her reverie. She realized that she had been sporting a huge grin, and blushed, resisting the urge to cover her face.

"No need to be embarrassed my dear! Such stories resonate with any true huntsman-in-training. Isn't that right class?"

A vaguely confirmatory moan from a few students was the only response, but the mustachioed professor continued the lecture, unfazed by their lack of enthusiasm.

* * *

><p>After class, Weiss and Yang headed for the dining hall to meet their friends for lunch. The blonde tugged at her uniform, leaving it lumpy and untucked in places. Weiss had long since given up any attempts to civilize her more discourteous teammate.<p>

"Well I'm glad _that's_ over." Yang confessed. She stretched her arms into the air and yawned before folding them behind her head and looking skyward. The fog had followed after the storm, leaving a bright sun and clear sky. She smirked and bumped Weiss with her hip. "I bet you are too, little miss teacher's pet! You lit up like a flare back there."

"You know that's not why I was smiling." Weiss replied, acting testy.

Yang feigned surprise, "Oh! And what was it that put you in such a good mood then?"

"You'll just have to keep wondering. It's a matter in between me and-" She stopped, having spotted Neptune jogging toward them across the courtyard. "I'll have to catch up with you, Yang. Go on ahead." She said, now with real testiness.

Her friend couldn't tell the difference. "Whatever you say, lover-girl!" Yang gave a sly wink and headed off.

Weiss crossed her arms and waited for her boyfriend to reach her. She resisted tapping her foot, as she didn't want to seem rude, especially in public as she was. Neptune shoved his hands in his pockets and walked the last few steps, clearly anxious, with his gaze down toward the grass.

"Hey Weiss, I uh…" he looked to her face in an attempt to read the mood, but it was as a stone. "I wanted to apologize."

Weiss face still revealed nothing.

Neptune stumbled on, "I freaked out last night, and I'm sorry. I know I hurt you. I wasn't sensitive to what you were feeling." When Weiss retained her deadpan expression, he became a bit frustrated. "Still, you can't keep something like that from a boyfriend for so long and expect it to go smoothly! When you're in a relationship with someone, you need to tell them about that sort of thing."

Weiss took a deep breath, and softened a bit. "You're right. I should have told you earlier." Neptune's eyes widened in surprise. She tried to ignore that he thought it so strange for her to admit a mistake. "I was just… it's been an issue in the past, so I kept delaying when I would say it. Speaking of that, though…" She leaned in close, giving him a threatening poke, "_you_ are certainly not going to let anyone know of this."

Neptune gulped and scratched the back of his head, letting out a nervous giggle. "Well, there were actually two things I wanted to apologize for."

The Ice Queen grimaced, and gave him a fierce shove in the chest. "Who did you tell!?"

"Sun!" he gasped out. "I was pretty…freaked out after you left last night, and he could tell. You know how he is; he wouldn't stop badgering me about it. I finally got so frustrated that I yelled it at him. I'm sorry!"

Weiss was appalled. She felt violated. It took a moment for her to lift her jaw from the ground. "That _scoundrel_ is literally the last person who should have sensitive information!"

"I know, and I told him not to tell anyone, but…"

They both knew that Sun Wukong was more likely to do the opposite of what he was told, rebellious as he was. Weiss whipped out her scroll in order to call the monkey faunus. She needed to express the importance to him personally.

Neptune shook his head. "Fat chance there. He never keeps his scroll on him. Says they're for city-slickers who don't know how to have a good time."

Exasperated, Weiss gestured to her scroll. "But these are also the keys to the rooms! How does he even get… Nevermind. Don't tell me." She thought for a moment, and then started jabbing at Neptune's chest with a finger. "_Find him_. I'll go look in the dining hall." And with that she strode off.

The blue haired boy was left standing alone, wracking his brain to think of where to look for his mischievous friend while looking around in every direction. "Crap!" he cursed to himself as he ran off.

* * *

><p>Cold blue eyes swept from side to side as Weiss scanned the cafeteria for her prey. Fortunately, Sun always stuck out, no matter where he was. The trouble was that he could be <em>anywhere<em>. Weiss wouldn't be surprised to find him in a random tree outside, or in the ventilation system.

As she figured, he wasn't in the same place as a majority of the student body. [Of course he couldn't sit at a table and eat like a normal person.] Weiss thought with a scowl. [At least that means that he isn't blabbing to anyone here.]

She decided to check with her friends to see if they might have some idea of where the rapscallion could be. The rest of team RWBY was sitting across from JNPR, and Pyrrha noticed Weiss approaching with purpose and a furrowed brow.

"What's the matter?" the redhead called out as Weiss neared the table.

"It's probably hopeless, but do any of you know where I might find Sun?"

Six of her friends put on puzzled looks, thinking of where they would search and why Weiss might be looking for him. Yang, however, donned a huge grin.

"Yeah!" she started, reaching into a pocket. "It's about noon, so if you head right back out that door and look up," Yang pulled her sunglasses out and slid them on, "then the Sun should be right above you!"

This earned an eye-roll from Weiss, a punch on the arm from Ruby, a giggle from Nora, and a groan from several others.

Stumped, Ruby asked, "Why are you looking for him, Weiss?"

Blake suddenly tilted her head back in realization, and shot a meaningful look at Weiss, who could only raise an eyebrow in response. Blake stood and grabbed her confused teammate's shoulder, leading her away from the tables to a corner of the room. Once they were alone, the faunus girl spoke just loudly enough to be heard over the din of hundreds of students, "This is about your secret, right?"

Weiss struggled to keep her voice down. "He already told you!?"

"Well, sort of." Blake replied sheepishly, before resuming her typical monotone, "Look, you don't have to worry. Even Sun isn't brazen enough to blab about _that_. He asked me about it this morning, assuming that I already knew. Of course, I didn't, so I made it _very_ clear that telling anyone would carry severe consequences. It was obvious that if you hadn't told me, then you probably didn't want anyone to know."

A deep sigh left Weiss, along with her anger and fear. She knew she could trust Blake on this, even though it involved a wild card like that monkey. She found that she wasn't worried anymore, at least not about Sun.

It was her turn to be sheepish. "Blake, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. Don't think that I don't trust you, or anything like that…"

"Stop." Blake gave Weiss' shoulder a comforting squeeze. "I didn't tell you about my body, so I can hardly blame you for doing the same. We can talk more later, but for now you should eat. Lunch break is almost over." She smiled before turning to head back to the table with the others.

Weiss took a deep breath. The crisis was averted, though she still wanted to talk to Sun personally at some point. She sent a quick message on her scroll before grabbing her meal to enjoy with her loyal team.

Ruby eyed her suspiciously as she joined the table, ever curious. "What was that all about? What happened to finding Sun?"

"Oh, don't worry about it." Weiss replied coolly while arranging and seasoning her food. "I'll tell you later tonight." She couldn't help but smile and glance at Blake. In the past, each new person to discover her secret brought grief, but now it seemed to be just the opposite. She figured it was time to confide to her whole team. They had earned much more than just her trust.

* * *

><p>Neptune's scroll buzzed in his pocket as he received a message. He found a safe resting position before pulling it out to read: <em>Forget about Sun. It's taken care of.<em>

"How the heck did she find him?" he said, exasperated. He wiped sweat from his brow with one arm while moving a branch with the other to peer back down toward the ground. The poor blue haired boy was covered in leaves, scratches, and sticky sap. "Why Sun likes this, I will never understand." he groaned as he started climbing back down.


End file.
